Antinuclear

The week that has been in nuclear and climate news- Australia

I scratch around for good news. There is plenty, on the renewable energy scene. And this: CO2 emissions from energy remain flat for third year running.  Total number of global nuclear weapons has dropped.

Not so good news. Disaster looms over North Korea: how could this be stopped? US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, rejects negotiation with North Korea, and keeps journalists out. Tillerson considers a pre-emptive strike against North Korea.

AUSTRALIA

CLIMATE and RENEWABLE ENERGY The week has been a bewildering cascade of news, views, and squabbles about energy. Best news – THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper, longtime mouthpiece of the right-wing and fossil fuel lobbies – today pronounced Australia’s unstoppable transition to renewable energy. ! That came after: South Australia announcing  a new energy plan, a huge kerfuffle about gas, heaps of news about solar battery storage, and, finally, a desperate Snow job by Malcolm Turnbull.

The Turnbull magic trick is his plan for Snowy River pumped hydro power. That could work, in the longer term, a decade or so. However it smells more like Turnbull scrambling to cover up government failure to address immediate energy problems, and also to distract attention from Elon Musk’s offer to fix South Australia’s energy by solar and storage, within 100 days.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) could require financial institutions to test climate risks’

Adani coal mine expansion plans. Queensland Premier backs this, despite strong opposition from Aboriginal landowners, and a delegation of other prominent Australians.

NUCLEAR. 

• A pack of Liberals want nuclear power for Australia. PM Turnbull comes out in his true pro nuclear colours.    However, South Australian Liberal Party condemns the plan to import nuclear wastes.
• Sydney Morning Herald on radioactive waste dumping  – ignores Lucas’ Heights’ high level nuclear reactor waste.
• Labour’s win in Western Australia means more gloom for the uranium industry.
• UNDEMOCRATIC NUCLEAR WASTE LAW DISEMPOWERS COMMUNITIES AND TRADITIONAL OWNERS

Aboriginal issues. Senate Inquiry told  Native Title amendments  will disenfranchise Traditional Owners.

March 18, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews